Deadly Promises
by SoonChaos
Summary: With the coming doom of war, Kaoru faces difficulties in defending her father's land from a tyrant. After a kidnapping, she confronts dangers that threaten to swallow not only her lands but the kingdom itself and an assassin who plays a mysterious part.
1. Chapter One

Deadly Promise

Chapter 1

~Hate all you want and rage all you want 

But it will never fill an empty heart~

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The autumn wind blew crisp leaves into the old courtyard, scattering the last sign of life all about.  A young woman heaved a sigh as she proceeded to sweep up the leaves with a broom, all the while knowing she would get nowhere with the wind playing about.  She shivered a little as the wind grew colder with the passing of the sun.   
  


"Oy, Jou-chan, just leave the courtyard alone, you're never going to clean it all up."  A tall young man appeared from the courtyard's doorway, hands in his pockets.  Long spiked hair brushed gently against eyes that had seen too much in the world.   
  


"It just makes me feel like I'm doing something," the woman snapped and started to sweep harder to show her annoyance.  "Instead of waiting and waiting-"

The man walked over, grabbed the broom, and began to push his sister into the house, throwing the object into the corner.  "Baka, you'll catch a cold," he said with a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes.   
  


She took note of this quickly and turned around to face her older brother.  "What happened?  Is it father??"  Her forehead furrowed in worry as she grabbed the man's gi.  Sanosuke's mask crumbled at her question and he swept his sister into his strong arms, holding her tightly.   
  


"Someone got him ... while he was coming home to us.  It was too late when I got there-"   His voice shook as he spoke into her hair.  Kaoru struggled out of her brother's hug, hitting him angrily with her fists but he held on tighter.   
  


"Stop lying!  He's not dead!  He can't be! He's too strong for that!!! He's not dead! He's not dead," she shouted, her voice growing more and more panicked.  She tried to push away from him but it was no use, she stopped her thrashing and began to sob into his chest.  "Y-you're lying .... he's not dead .... he's not dead ..."

Sanosuke looked up at the ceiling, dried of the tears he had cried out when he saw his father's body lying in the road, like a piece of trash left out.   
  


~*~

It had been a month, but it had felt like she had heard the news yesterday.  Dark bags hung under her eyes, showing the intensity of the grief in her face.  She ate only to ease the worries of her brother and smiled only to lift his spirits, if but a little.  She should have been wasting away in her sorrow, becoming nothing more than a tiny child.  But her ki grew sharper and stronger as each weary day passed by, her rage boiling in every core of her body till it filled mind and soul.  There was a tiny tap at her door and Sano walked in along with his battle aura.  It sensed her own angry ki and mingled with it, creating an air so full of tension that you could almost feel it on your skin.  
  


"Pack up, you're going to your cousin Tomoe's castle for a while.  She'll be coming to pick you up tomorrow morning," he said bluntly, not daring to look at Kaoru's face.  
  


"What are you talking about?  Have you drunk any sake lately," she mumbled, irritated at his visit.  Sano walked over and picked up Kaoru by her yukata, holding her up in the air effortlessly.  She began to struggle, kicking at his chest.  
  


"Baka!  What are you doing!"  She aimed a kick at his arm and he dropped her to the ground.  Her feet were quick and she landed neatly on the ground.  "Baka!  What the heck were you doing?!"   
  


Sano gave a broad smile at his little sister's antics.  "Good, I was getting tired of you moping around."  The smile was still there but his eyes grew serious.  "But you're still going with Tomoe, I can't have you around right now.  Too dangerous."   
  


"Oy, what's so dangerous that I can't stay?  I'm a master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," she said indignantly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
  


"War."  
  


The word was like an arrow, piercing her heart and making fear bleed out.  "War," she whispered hoarsely.   
  


"Shishio's soldiers are massing around our borders.  He is declaring war on the grounds that we are starting a rebellion against his rule."  Sano rubbed a callused hand against his face.  "Jou-chan, please, get out while you can.  I'm not gonna let you die here, no way in hell," he said from behind his fingers.  
  


"I'm just as strong as you!  I can defend myself when I have to," Kaoru argued.

Sano gave a groan at the tone of her voice, the tone that said she wasn't going to give up unless she was knocked unconscious.  "Shishio's got several powerful assassins on his side, ready to kill with a single command.  You will NOT die Kaoru.  I won't let you.  I promised father that I'd look out for you, so don't make me break that promise."  
  


Her brother's eyes begged her to go and Kaoru looked to the ground at the mention of her father, knowing she would have to consent to leaving.

He breathed a sigh of relief at Kaoru's sign of submission.  "I'll feel a lot better when you're safe and away from this war.  Tomoe will be able to protect you from where she is, so don't worry about anything.  She'll be here early in the morning so pack only what you need, she'll have everything else."  Sano clapped a hand on her back and was about to say something else when shouts from the courtyard caught his attention.  He cursed under his breath and quickly ran out to meet them, Kaoru following right behind him.  She gave a gasp, the five men that had run in were soaked with blood and were barely standing on their own two feet.  She began to tear her yukata for bandages as one of the men reported.  
  


"They just started attacking for no reason, yelling about a rebellion at hand!  They were too fast Sano!  They were prepared for everything," the man gasped out as Kaoru tightly tied the makeshift bandage.  Sano's face was grim as he began to clench and unclench his fists.  
  


"Kaoru, quickly take care of these men's wounds, we leave tomorrow at dawn."  He whirled around and stormed off to his rooms, obviously going to strategize and think of what to do when the enemy is your own king.  
  


~*~

The carriage gave another uncomfortable bump and Kaoru winced at the pain on her rear.  Her cousin, Tomoe, looked at her from across and gave an apologizing smile, looking as if she was sitting in a comfortable armchair.  
  


"I'm sorry Kaoru-chan, but Sano said speed over comfort."  She paused, waiting for Kaoru's answer.  
  


"It's ok, Tomoe, it's that baka's fault, not yours."  
  


Tomoe gave a grin and her elegant face brightened at her cousin's good humor.  She leaned over to tuck a renegade strand of hair behind Kaoru's ear then looked outside of the tiny window.   
  


"Suiko is a lot more beautiful than I thought.  I don't think I've visited your land for years.  Hakuho's forests aren't as thick as yours."  Tomoe chatted away about where she lived, Hakuho, and all the little spots she would take her cousin to visit.  Kaoru listened with half a ear as her thoughts turned to her brother.  He had given her a stiff and brief hug before quickly leaving with the group of men to the opposite direction.  He didn't even look back for one more goodbye, though his sister did to catch one final glance of the last male in the Kamiya legacy.   
  


"Kaoru," Tomoe's soft voice cut through her thoughts.  "Are you alright?"  The woman's eyes were sincerely worried and Kaoru gave a small smile for her.  Relieved at the smile, Tomoe began to relay her worries of the war.   
  


"If Shishio is attacking your land, what is he going to do to all the other nobles' lands?  I sent as many troops as I could to aid your brother, but I'm afraid that Shishio might look to my own borders next.  I don't want to loose Hakuho, it's the last part of my heritage," Tomoe fretted, pulling at her fingers in anxiety.

Kaoru took Tomoe's hand and grasped it.  "No matter what, I'll always be there to help Tomoe, so don't ever worry.  Let me do that," Kaoru added for good measure.  Tomoe flung herself into the girl's arms.  When Kaoru had first met her cousin, she was nervous about the stunning and mannerly woman who had stood before her.  Though they were the same age, Kaoru felt they were leagues apart.  They had been the fondest friends years ago, but as time passed by, they saw each other less and less.  But Tomoe's kind words broke the ice and she could feel the old friendship from childhood appearing again.

She was rhythmically rubbing Tomoe's back when there was a loud thump on the roof.  The carriage gave a sudden lurch and stopped.  They weren't supposed to stop anywhere till they had reached Tomoe's home; what had happened?  Kaoru took her bokken out from her travel bag and motioned Tomoe to get behind her.  She couldn't hear anything, but she could feel someone out there, moving towards the door.  She held her breath and raised her bokken, waiting for the intruder to open the door.

When the door opened to show a stranger and not the driver, Kaoru swung without another thought.  A sword appeared from the stranger's hand and slashed the bokken in half before it could touch him.  The sun's light created a bright glow around him, making it hard to see who he was.  Kaoru inched back, still protecting her cousin with her body.  
  


"Who are you," she demanded with an unperturbed voice, proud that it didn't show the fear quaking inside.   
  


He raised the arm holding the sharp katana and pressed it lightly against Kaoru's throat.  "Kamiya Kaoru and Yukishiro Tomoe, I presume," said a cultured voice.  "If you could step out of the carriage."  
  


Kaoru opened her mouth to argue, but he pressed hard enough to open a small cut, letting blood trickle down.  She tried to ignore the sting and slowly moved out of the carriage, still trying to shield Tomoe from the katana.  When she saw the swordsman, she wanted to laugh.  The figure that stood before them was a short man, maybe a few inches taller than herself, with bright auburn hair tied low in the back.  His garb was assassin-like, all black.  But her urge to laugh stopped when she saw his eyes, pale gold and the emptiest she had ever seen.  _'He wants to kidnap us,'_ Kaoru suddenly thought, her fear growing.  _'I have to protect Tomoe, I have to!'_  She threw the piece of bokken at her captor's head and turned to run, dragging Tomoe with her.  A dark blur zipped past and Kaoru ran into a hard chest.  She ricocheted and fell back but strong hands grabbed her shoulders.  
  


"My leader wants a word with you," he said, looking straight into her eyes.  The warning was clear, come or get hurt.  But she wasn't going down without a fight; not if he intended to hurt her or Tomoe.   
  


"Forget it!  My cousin and I are already late, now if you'll excuse us," Kaoru said politely, moving to the side.  He took a step to the side and moved in front of her.  She went right, he went right.  She went left, he went left.  
  


"Kora, you must be idiosyncratic, because we refuse to be threatened to do something we do not want to do.  And I am not meeting your leader under any circumstances.  He may schedule an appointment if he wishes to talk instead of sending some kidnapper such as yourself to do his dirty work," Kaoru gushed out in one breath.  She waited for her captor to loose his cool and get angry, but he just stood there with an amused look on his face.  As if she was a one person kabuki theater, if that even existed.  With Tomoe still protectively behind her, she waited for a response.  Kaoru opened her mouth.  "I'll take that as a ye-"  
  


He reached behind Kaoru and yanked Tomoe to him.  Kaoru yelped and tried to pull her cousin back, but he tugged Tomoe out of her hands.  He led her to the carriage and gently pushed her inside.  Kaoru could see Tomoe struggling to get out, but he pushed her back in.  He talked to her and Tomoe nodded, letting him close the door.  And right on cue, the unconscious driver woke up from his little nap.  He looked around him, somewhat disoriented, but snapped to attention when the kidnapper gave the driver the reins.  The redhead's mouth moved, giving directions to the driver, and the driver gave a quick nod, slapping the reins.  The carriage took off in a faster speed than before and Kaoru watched it zip by with a dropped mouth.  
  


"Tomoe," she screamed, hiking up her kimono to start running after her cousin, but a hand grabbed the back of her clothes.  She tried to slap the hand away.  "You idiot, my cousin needs me," she yelled at him, smacking him with every word.  
  


"My leader requires your company.  He has, however, given me permission to take further measures if you didn't come quietly.  Unless you want those measures to be used on your cousin..."  Another warning.  She gave a scowl and stopped her wild hitting.

"Lady Kamiya, if you will follow me, there is a horse grazing nearby."  His voice was painfully polite as he spoke, the ultimate epitome of a court noble.  
  


"I take it that I'm a hostage," Kaoru muttered while following the man to his horse.  
  


"Unfortunately so," he answered without turning.  
  


"Why are you so polite?  Shouldn't you be aggressive and arrogant while swinging your sword around," Kaoru asked curiously.  
  


"I'm a noble, not a brigand."  He pushed aside some bushes to reveal a chestnut brown horse munching on some grass.  At the sight of his master, the horse trotted over.  Kaoru slowly looked up from the hooves to the tip of it's ears.  
  


"Eh .... um .... just to let you know, I'm not a very accomplished rider ... and .. eh?"  
  


The man had kneeled down on one knee and offered her his cupped hands.  She looked at him for a moment, and then gave a sigh.  She placed one geta in his hands and he lightly tossed her onto the horse's back.  Without a sweat, he gracefully jumped behind her, putting her in a rather intimate embrace as he reached for his reins.  With a tap of his heels they were off, going on some invisible trail through the thick forests of Suiko.  A question was poking at Kaoru's thoughts and after a period of silence, she finally decided to ask.   
  


"If you are such an honorable noble, why are you kidnapping me?"  
  


"Who says I'm honorable," he whispered, his breath tickling her ears and sending shivers down her spine.

She jerked it to the side, angry at her reaction and his words.  "So you are an dishonorable man," she pressed further.  
  


"Honorable in some respects....though not all."  His voice dropped at the last bit, as if he was remembering a reluctant memory.

Kaoru's ears perked up and her conscience began to peek through.  He sounded almost sad through his court drawl.  "What are you remembering," she asked softly.  
  


"Nothing for you to know," came his gruff reply, the first hint of emotion she had heard in his voice.  This drove her curiosity more, not to mention her inner need to help others.  
  


"I just wanted to help."  
  


"Nobody can help me."  His voice of emptiness was back and Kaoru leaned back against his arms.  A battle lost.

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~I've been kind of on and off with my Kenshin stories, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to regularly update this one. So what do you think of this story? Long reviews are welcomed! (though I hope they are not flames). And I'm making Kenshin be painfully polite in this fic, though not all the time. kaoru will be sure to break him of that.


	2. Chapter Two

Deadly Promise

Chapter 2

~What was once a burning flame to live is now a flickering spark that is slowly being blown away by the winds of change

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It was past the setting of the sun and the two riders had yet to stop for rest.  Kaoru could feel every muscle ache, but she gritted her teeth.  There was no way she was going to complain to him; not if her pride had anything to do with it.  Her thoughts kept drifting back to Tomoe; she had looked like she had recognized the kidnapper ... but how?  And why did she leave so peacefully?  Before she could stop herself, she let out the tiniest sigh, so small that you could barely hear it, but he did.  
  


"We'll be stopping at an inn shortly," he said, wondering why she had yet to complain.  He had been waiting for her to go off like she had earlier.  But she was strangely quiet and demure throughout the ride, very unlike the fiery woman who was trying to protect her cousin.

Tomoe ... it had been a long time since he had last seen her, too long.  She had grown up from an awkward teenager to a refined and graceful woman.  And he had been too busy to watch the change happen.  The inn finally came in view and there was a young hostler waiting outside.  
  


"We've been expecting you," the hostler said as he bowed and took the horse's reins.

The man jumped down and Kaoru looked at the ground warily.  The height was somewhat dizzying and there was no way she wasn't going to get down without falling.  Hands grabbed her waist and slid her off the horse's back.  Her legs lurched as they touched the ground and she found herself being carried bridal style into the inn.  She was so light in his arms, hardly more like a child.  
  


"Mou!  I can walk you know!  I'm not some little kid," she complained.

He carried her into the inn, so much for the demure maiden back then.  Several pairs of eyes swiveled towards the arguing girl, one in particular interest.  "Maybe if you stopped acting like a child, I would refrain from treating you like one," he said in his soft voice.  She promptly closed her mouth and concentrated on the fabric of her kimono, wondering why he hadn't grown crazy with impatience with her pestering attitude.  She was trying so hard to be annoying and unbearable and he had barely twitched an eyebrow.  What was she going to have to do to get this man to react?  
  


"Must be your first wedding night, eh," commented an old woman as she passed by.  
  


Kaoru turned bright red at such a bold statement and scrambled to get out of his arms, completely embarrassed.  "I'm fine," she hissed and he finally released her, making her almost fall.  "Baka," she mumbled, straightening out the wrinkles in her clothes.  She gave a rather proud look at her yellow kimono, dusty, smelling of horse, and wrinkly.

After being nearly beaten into the clothing by Sano himself, she had felt too much like a noble and less like a warrior.  The persistence of her brother in getting her to wear female clothing was strange, as if he was reminding her that she shouldn't be there to fight, that she didn't belong.  She hiked up the kimono sleeve on her right arm and made a furious fist, if that was what Sano was implying, then he was in for a beating the next time they meet.  That is, if they meet again.

She lowered the kimono sleeve in dismay, considuring that she was being kidnapped.  Could it be that she might be tortured to death for information she didn't know?  Or held hostage against her brother to turn the table for Shishio??!!  The last one made her mentally punch herself, why hadn't she figured that out sooner?  
  


Seeing that a war was starting over Suiko's lands, of course she would be a prime target to blackmail Sano into giving up!  So was that the real reason to Sano forcing her to leave?  Then that must mean that her kidnapper was working for Shishio!  While Kaoru was trying to figure out the thoughts running through her mind, her captor was looking at her with amused eyes.  He could see every emotion in her face as broad as daylight.

Never had he seen someone show their feelings so clearly for everybody to see.  He took great interest in seeing the color of her eyes change, right now it was a stormy blue, reflecting a look of anxiety on her face.  _'She must have finally figured out how grave her situation is.  Maybe she'll finally stop being such a burden...'_

"Hey, kidnapper, when are we eating," she asked innocently, her face wiped clean of the multitude of emotions from before.

He gave one quizzical look then began to follow the owner of the inn to their room.  Odd, he had expected her to finally ask who he was and who he worked for.  And she asks him what they were eating?  The owner slid open a door to a spacious room, reserved especially for him.  After whispering instructions on a meal for two, he stepped inside after the girl.  She gave a sullen look while standing in the middle of the room.

"We're sharing," she asked in a dull voice, obviously irked that they had to sleep in the same room.  
  


"I don't need prying eyes and ears right now.  We'll be a married couple till we arrive at our destination."  There was a tap and he opened the door to show servants with two trays of food.

It was simple fare, rice, fish, and some pickled vegetables, but Kaoru ate with good appetite.  When she was done she looked around the room properly for the first time, not focusing the on the one futon like she had before.  A chest of drawers looked promising.  Perhaps there was a yukata there to borrow.  She was about to get up when he interrupted.  
  


"Where are you going," he asked, watching her with guarded lavender eyes.

_'Wait...lavender?  Weren't they gold before?'_  
  


"Clothes, I don't want to wear a kimono if I am to meet your 'leader.'"  This time she got up without any more interruptions, but she began to wonder if she had to ask for permission to do anything.  The chest revealed to a disappointed Kaoru only a few yukatas that looked like it had seen better days.  With a shrug, she slipped it on behind a changing screen.  When she came out, the trays were gone and the futon had bed sheets on it.  She looked at the futon, then the man, then the futon again.  He gave a small sigh after he blew out the single candle in the room.  
  


"I rarely use the futon to sleep," he reassured her, tucking himself in a corner near the bed.  His two swords were placed in a sort of cradle in his arms and he closed his eyelids in the pretense of sleep.  She stared at him for just a minute longer then slipped under the bedcovers.  She felt slightly guilty at making him sleep uncomfortably in the corner, but he was most likely a henchman of Shishio.  Still, he didn't seem evil and lecherous like most of Shioshio's underlings.  However, she would not put her guard down, she was very sure that he worked for Shishio.  Why else would he kidnap her when a war was starting?  Repeating that to herself over and over inside, her breathing eased down into the slower rhythm of deep sleep.  
  


~*~  
  


She had dreamed of her father again, but it wasn't like the nightmares she had before.  This one felt so warm and comforting.  She was a little girl again, sitting her father's lap and hugging herself to his gi.  Large hands enveloped hers and she held on as tightly as she could.  He gently tried to pull her hands off, but she murmured a firm 'no' and held on even tighter.  
  


"Kaoru-dono, Kaoru-dono, please wake up," said a voice from far away.  Wait, that didn't sound like her father.  She opened her eyes to see her captor leaning right above her and her reflexes took over, punching him in the face.  He neatly caught it, holding both of her hands.  Wait ... both of her hands?  He looked down at where she was staring and quickly let go of them.  
  


"Hentai," Kaoru screamed, hitting him with her pillow.

He grabbed the pillow out of her hands.  "You were the one who grabbed my hand first," he pointed out while Kaoru fumed.  
  


"I-I did," Kaoru asked, wincing at her rather spontaneous reaction.  "I'm sorry.  I-er- usually don't do this.  It's just ever since my father ... never mind."   She kicked off her covers only to realize that part of her yukata had come undone during the night, revealing a little too much leg for comfort.  He turned around to let Kaoru adjust the yukata with a furious blush on her face.   
  


"Do you have an extra gi and hakama with you," she asked hopefully as she stood up and stretched.  He jerked his head at a bundle of clothes sitting near the futon.  She muttered a thanks and changed behind the screen.  It must have been his own clothes because they hung like a black dress on her own lean frame.  She had to loop the belt two times before tying it in the front.  When she stepped out he gave a small smile before turning back to his breakfast.  Noticing his look she gave a frown and sat in front of her own tray of breakfast.  
  


"Just what's so funny?"  She took a sip of her miso soup.  "I don't care of I look ridiculous, but if I really look that terrible, then tell me instead of hiding it."  She was about to berate him some more when she realized that she was talking to her enemy.  She snapped her mouth shut and concentrated on eating her breakfast.

Noticing her sudden silence he stared at her till she began to squirm under his gaze.  
  


"What," She finally asked, getting aggravated.   
  


"You're very different from your cousin," he remarked while sipping his tea.  Finishing it in a gulp, he stood up and tucked his swords back in his belt on his left side.  "Come.  We still have more journeying to do."  
  


"Another horse ride," Kaoru complained while she followed him out.  "Hey, how do you know Tomoe?  Have you kidnap her at some point, too?"  She watched as he went down on one knee again to help her get on the horse.  Once more, the ground seem miles away and she looked straight ahead to avoid getting scared.  
  


"We ... were acquaintances in court a few years ago."  His voice had dropped back into emptiness.  He was leaving something out, something important, of that she was sure.  He sounds almost sad again.  Were his memories that bad?  
  


"Were you something more," she asked, hoping to find out more about him.

"What makes you say that?"  
  


"Just by how you sound.  You sound like you're remembering something," Kaoru stated nervously as the horse began to canter.  _'Too fast, it's going a little too fast.'_  
  


"Perhaps you assume to know too much," he said stiffly before urging the horse into a full gallop.  Kaoru leaned back as far as she could into his arms, wondering when she was going to fall.  The next time she asked him questions, it would be when they weren't on top of a gigantic animal that could dropkick them at any second.  He finally stopped before a long bridge, the horse breathing heavily and sweating from the hard run.  
  


"You know, you still haven't answered my questions," Kaoru said.   
  


He hopped off, then grabbed Kaoru by the waist and nearly threw her down to the ground.  He pressed her against the horse's side, bending his face close to hers.  
  


"Why do you keep asking questions?  Why do you want to know more about me?  Do you really want to know about my past that much," he asked dangerously, his purple eyes showing flecks of gold.

Kaoru didn't back down.  Was it stupidity running through her veins or bravery?  "Because I want to HELP!!!  Is that so awful?!?!?!  Wanting to HELP somebody?!  Well maybe you wouldn't know since you keep pushing away people who want to know more about you or share your past!!  No wonder why you always seem to be alone!!!!"  
  


Kaoru pushed him away and began to stomp on to the bridge.  Her eyes flew wide open when she realized she was in the middle of a rope bridge, a place she had feared all her life.  She took a step back when the bridge began to sway .... and then it dropped.  She turned to start running back, but only caught a glance of her captor's stoic face before she fell hundreds of feet below towards a rushing river.

___________________________________________________________

*Eh, a little shorter than I expected but I had to stop it there. the next chapter will be about what went on at the bridge and who cut the ropes holding it. and duh, of course Kaoru doesn't die, she's stronger than that!


	3. Chapter Three

Deadly Promise

Chapter 3

~Time is a storm in which we are all lost

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Everything was so blank at first, white and empty. Then pain started to seep through her bones followed by a chilling wet cold. She gave a moan and tried to open her tired eyes but the harsh sun glaring down made her eyes clench tightly. She had a headache that throbbed like somebody was hitting her repeatedly and she was disoriented. Her body felt like it had been battered, kicked, and tossed around for hours and hours. What had happened that made her feel so ached? She slowly rolled her body till she was on her stomach and cautiously opened her eyes. It was a long stretch of rocky beach which was bordered by a forest of dark trees. The roaring crashes of water warned her that the river's edge was but a few feet away. Inch by inch she scooted herself farther up the shore and away from the river's powerful pull. First off, she had to muster up enough energy to actually stand up. She pushed her arms up but plopped down with a sharp hiss of agony, something was sprained inside, maybe a rib or two. Maybe three as she starting to feel more of her body's hurts. Two or three sprained ribs, bruises and scratches everywhere, twisted or broken ankle. How did she manage to get so hurt? Had she been in the river for that long? There was the crack of a twig and she twisted her head up to see a man step out of the border of trees. White silver hair, stunning turquoise eyes, and an expression of stone greeted her. Enemy or friend, she couldn't tell but her head was getting tired and she rested it back on to the stones. His light steps came closer and closer until they were right by her ear. She gave a sigh and closed her eyes, waiting for him to do whatever he was going to do. From that cold expression from before, she had a feeling it wouldn't be good. As much as she would like to jump up and start running away, there was no way she would be able to defend herself at this state. Strong arms gently and gradually lifted her up to his chest. Her head lolled into his chest by its own accord and she helplessly gave into her body's demands. Her drenched clothes had prevented her own body from trying to warm up and the warmth of his body made her tempted to give a tiny purr of delight. In a walk that was almost a glide he began to head back to where he had come from and Kaoru issued no complaints or questions. The trees grew thick and there appeared to be no path but he treaded through the forest by his instincts and they soon came upon a small meadow. There was a good sized hut that had been lovingly built. A small fenced off area held a tiny barn and a gallant white horse that galloped to them when they walked nearby. It gave a nicker as he stepped into the hut. It was immaculate and well lived in, a futon had already been set out as if waiting just for her. As gently as he could he set her down till she was in a comfortable position.

"Do you have any memory of who you are?" His voice was very soft but articulate and clear. Kaoru had to piece together what he had just said before she could understand. Memory...you....

"No, I don't." She answered back after a long thought. "I don't remember at all."

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"You lost her?" The voice rumbled out, anger barely in check. "Baka-deshi! Did I not tell you how important your assignment was?! Why in Kami's name did you even come back?! Go find her right now before your master finds out about this! All our plans are thrown with the trash if you don't find her as soon as you can!!"

Kenshin gave a quick bow and slid the shoji door shut before Hiko could rant any further. Every one of his assignments in the past had been important, why was Shishou so worried about this one? Her only value came from the fact that she was a sister of Kamiya Sanosuke, recently made master of Suiko's lands. There were so many other people that could be kidnapped to turn the tables on the war, why the girl whose lands weren't even that substantial or of much worth? A servant was waiting outside, holding the reins of a fresh horse. Kenshin hopped on without another thought and kicked his heels to go at a canter. How was he to find her? The river had been fast due to the spring's rain and even at his best guess, there would still be hundreds of chances of where she could be. She even might have drowned. It was going to take more than just himself to find her. He quickly yanked on the reins and turned to a different direction, one that would take him to the Oniwabanshu, the best in tracking down people. Their meeting place in the city wasn't too far from his own quarters and wasn't unknown in the underground world. As if sensing Kenshin, a tall man stepped out from the doorway and turned to stare at him. Kenshin gave a nod of his head before he jumped down. The man silently whirled around and went back inside, Kenshin following him. There were a few greetings around from impossibly strange looking men, that is if they were human. The man continued to lead him deeper into the building till they came upon a tiny sitting room, large enough for two people to sit and drink tea. Steaming tea was already set out and both men took a seat across from each other.

"She's an inch or two shorter than me, dark blue hair, blue eyes, and a hot temper." Kenshin said calmly as he picked up his teacup.

"No sign of her yet, my men are still looking around the western part of the river's course." There was a huge crash outside and both men held their breath as they awaited the small storm that was coming closer and closer. The shoji door slammed open and in the doorway stood a young girl. She had a frown on her face and her expressive eyes spoke a million words as they were glued on to the tall man.

"Aoshi-sama! How could you handle business without me?! Especially when it involves Kenshin?" She scolded as she slid the door shut, the men scooted over to make room for her. She took her customary spot right next to Aoshi and sat straight as she gave out the news.

"We had heard about your assignment so I ordered some men to keep an eye out just in case. We were chasing after the man who had cut the bridge's ropes so we weren't able to save the girl. However, we have been keeping an eye out everywhere for her since yesterday. No sign yet, sorry Kenshin. We do, however, have some information on the man behind it. Some spooky looking guy with weird eyes called Jineh. We have reason to believe he is a hitokiri because he displayed some amazing speed and strength when we tried to capture him. He calls himself Kurogasa."

At the mention of the name Kenshin's eyes glinted, showing a few specks of gold in his lavender eyes. His grip on his sword tightened just a little bit.

"Is the name familiar?" Misao asked, already noticing his tense muscles.

"I have an idea of who he might be, though I can't be sure."

*Damn it all, if Jineh is involved, then everything will get more complicated* The hitokiri had been a thorn at Kenshin's side, constantly trying to push the Battousai into a fight but recently he had disappeared. Only to reappear now and kill off his assignment...so that was Jineh's intent. Try to kill the girl in order to force him into a fight? Such pathetic and dishonorable measures taken just to win the title as the strongest, Jineh would never win. Kenshin moved to stand up but Misao pounced on him.

"Wait, there's more...not about Kurogasa, but about the girl Kaoru. She isn't a Kamiya, she isn't even Sanosuke's biological sister."

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He didn't ask any more questions after that, quietly and expertly healing her wounds. Her cuts were bandaged, bruises stopped throbbing after a cream had been put on, and her chest... he had been polite enough to allow her to cover them while inspecting the lower part. A bit of poking and prodding must have given him the information he needed because he bounded her chest tightly with bandages after applying a smelly green cream. After the doctoring had been done he served her a cold meal leftover from lunch, watching her as she ate. She narrowed her eyes.

"I thank you for helping me, but stop staring." She croaked out, her voice feeling like she had been screaming for hours.

"I'm not staring, I'm observing." He pointed out, pushing tiny glasses up with a finger.

"Why are you observing then?" She said, pushing her empty bowl aside.

"You should lay down, your body needs to heal." He stood up and left, leaving her alone in the hut. Hours later, after dusk had already settled in, he came back, sweaty and without a shirt. She turned her head away, embarassed, and looked up at the wooden beams of the ceiling. After letting a few minutes pass by she turned her head to see the hut empty again. Was this how he was going to be like for the next few days? Her thoughts proved true. He came in only to take a few things every once in a while and to give her hot meals. Other than that, he avoided her like she was some kind of oni demon. It got to the point where she was desperate for human company, having only the walls to stare at with a blank mind. She still couldn't remember anything, no matter how hard she tried. Everything was an empty slate, like her mind didn't want to remember who she was. However, at random moments, when the sun shone bright into the hut, she could grasp a blurring image of something red. She gave a weary sigh and tried once more to sit up, but winced at the pain and flopped back down. 

"This is so pitiful." She said to herself.

"Tired of being weak?" A deep voice said. Kaoru turned her head to the doorway to see the man looking at her with a strange glint in his eyes.

"Yes, and no. I'm just tired of lying down and doing nothing. And I'm feeling a lot better too." She argued as he walked nearer. He bent down and scooped her into his arms, she immediately grabbed hold of his neck.

"Kora! What are you doing?!" She yelped as he carried her out.

"Fresh air will do you well." He stated as he stepped out into the meadow and carefully placed her amidst a cluster of blooming wildflowers. She gave an admiring sniff at one of them as he sat down next to her.

"Your memory isn't back yet." He said rhetorically.

"No, but I'm starting to get the feeling that you know who I am." She said as she stroked the velvet petals of a flower she had picked. "Am I right?" She looked up at him with a twinkle in her azure eyes. 

"Perhaps." He answered cryptically and plucked the flower from her hand to place it in her hair. He stood up and took her in his arms again. "You've had enough fresh air."

"And you're avoiding my question." Kaoru said with a frown. "Put me down right now, I'm not so unwell that I can't stay outside by myself."

"And what can you do? Hobble away to escape to some destination you don't know? Or try to beat me with weak hands into telling you?" He asked her, still holding her in his arms.

"That's not fair, picking on an invalid." She pointed out as he began to walk towards the hut.

"There, you just admitted yourself that you're not well enough to do anything." He ducked his head to go inside and placed her back on the futon. She angrily crossed her arms and turned her head away from his amused look.

"I'm not some child that needs to be looked after, I can take care of myself and I say I feel well enough to leave." 

He suddenly leaned over so that he was encasing her in between his arms, his head knelt so close that only a few centimeters separated their faces. She jerked back from the movement and was frozen by eyes that looked almost primal. He closed his eyes and deeply inhaled her scent of jasmine.

"No, you're not a child." He whispered and in a movement as quick as before he left the hut. Kaoru let out the breath she had been holding and a blush flooded her face at what had just happened. Did she see desire in his eyes?

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Kenshin angrily hopped onto his horse's back but gently tapped it's sides to head west. Hiko had to have known about this, there was no doubt about it. His shishou left no stone unturned when it came to assignments, and leaving out this particular detail about Kamiya Kaoru was something Hiko would have never done. But he had done it, and intentionally as well. This put the whole war into a completely new perspective for him, and suddenly, a million things started to come together like the perfect pieces of a puzzle. 

"Shishio, what are you planning?" Kenshin muttered to himself as the horizon spread far ahead, the distant sun settling down into the cold beauty of the night.

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End file.
